Choosing Between The Suburbs And The City

There comes a time in many of our adult lives when we must make a conscious choice between living in the suburbs and living in the city. While both have their pros and cons, the ideal situation will depend on each individual's personality. The following points might help you decide.

Your CommuteCommute has a strong influence on quality of life. It dictates what time you must wake up in the morning, what time you (should) go to bed at night, how much free time you have in the evenings after work and how much frustration you experience each day, if you have to sit in traffic. If you have a family waiting for you at home, your commute also affects how much time you can spend with them. (For related reading, see Extreme Commuting: Is It For You?)

It's also possible for children to have long commutes to school. If this is the case, not only will they have less free time, they're also less likely to live near their school friends. To get across town, they'll have to spend hours on the bus, or you'll have to find the time to drive them yourself.

It often costs more to live near employment centers, so if you want to maximize your free time and minimize your frustration, you might think that living in the city is the logical choice. However, sometimes commutes from the suburbs to the city can be surprisingly quick, and some suburbs have plenty of good jobs, eliminating the need to commute. Before you assume anything about a particular commute, test your hypothesis by asking around, using the traffic feature on Google Maps and even testing out the drive (or public transit option).

Other transportation-related factors to consider when choosing between the city and the suburbs include the ability to get around easily, park at your destination and have a garage or some type of guaranteed parking space at home. You're more likely to find these in the suburbs than in the city. (For more, see Commuters' University: On-The-Road Learning.)

Job and Educational OpportunitiesYour choice between the city and suburbs can affect the number and type of job opportunities available to you, if you need to find a job now or want to change jobs someday. Your home address, of course, will also determine which public school your children are assigned to, which might determine whether you send them to public school, decide to pay extra for private school or home school.

House Size, Lot Size and PrivacyHow much house you can afford will be a function of where it's located. A willingness to live in a distant suburb often translates into a larger house on a larger lot. This extra space can be especially important for parents and dog owners, who want plenty of space to raise a family and a yard for the kids and/or dog. But anyone who likes peace and quiet and privacy is more likely to get it when they aren't sharing walls with neighbors, and there is plenty of land between one house and the next. A home's price per square foot can also be lower in the suburbs than in the city. That being said, if you want a living space that's trendy and/or unique, it may be easier to come by in the city.

Age of HousingHomes are often newer in the suburbs, unless you want to live in a recently renovated downtown loft. Old homes can be great if you want to tackle a bunch of home improvement projects or if the previous owner has recently upgraded everything. And new homes aren't a guarantee of low maintenance - they can be shoddily constructed and have plenty of unexpected problems. On the whole, however, there is a reason why newer homes are appealing - they do generally have fewer maintenance problem,s and they contain all the modern amenities that we've come to expect, like large closets, spacious bathrooms and kitchens designed for entertaining. So when considering a home in the city versus a home in the suburbs, think about whether an older home or a newer home is likely to suit you best. (For related reading, see Commute Smart: Save Time, Money And The Earth.)

Social Life and Cultural AmenitiesIt's almost always true that big cities have a better variety of things to do and more highly sought-after cultural activities. The Bulls don't play in Carbondale, Beyonce's last tour didn't stop in Wilkes-Barre and the HoustonBalletAcademy isn't located in El Paso. If you want easy access to major sporting events, popular concerts, cutting-edge restaurants, trendy night clubs and the best symphonies, ballets, museums and operas, you're better off living in the city or a short drive away. Suburbs may have perfectly good restaurants and their own performing arts centers, but you're not likely to live near the biggest or the best of anything. That being said, you might prefer the less-crowded, less-expensive, scaled-down versions of the big-name activities, or you might be willing to travel to do the things that are most important to you.

Local GovernmentMost people don't put a lot of thought into the quality of local government when deciding where to move to, but they should. An inefficient, corrupt bureaucracy can waste hundreds of hours of your time, and thousands of your dollars in burdensome regulations and taxes. Live somewhere with a well-run, minimalist government and you won't even notice it's there (except when your property tax bill is due). If you're going to be a property owner, you should pay special attention to tax rates and the government's attitude toward private property rights. Is there a regime of high or unstable property taxes that could force you to move one day because you can no longer afford them? How difficult will it be to make modifications to your home under local housing codes and environmental regulations? Are you allowed to run a business out of your home or rent out the spare bedroom? These are important questions to ask ahead of time.

Overall Quality of LifeThere are plenty of stereotypes about the city and the suburbs, but they aren't always accurate. You really have to look carefully at the specific places you're considering living, and evaluate what they have to offer and whether that place is the right fit for you. Decide carefully: where you choose to live will ultimately be one of the biggest factors in determining your overall quality of life. (Maybe you trade a longer commute for more space, for more see Buying A Home: New Or Previously Used?)